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Many whitewater athletes train in Maryland

Colorado or the Pacific Northwest might come to mind when thinking about training for whitewater sports, but Maryland Adam Van Grack, chairman of the U.S. canoe-kayak team, said Maryland is a breeding ground for children who go on to become professional whitewater athletes. So why Maryland?

Colorado or the Pacific Northwest might come to mind when thinking about training for whitewater sports, but Maryland Adam Van Grack, chairman of the U.S. canoe-kayak team, said Maryland is a breeding ground for children who go on to become professional whitewater athletes. So why Maryland?

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Updated: 6:04 PM EDT Aug 1, 2016

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WEBVTT LOWELL: USUALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF WHITEWATER SPORTS, COLORADO OR THE PACIFIC NORTH WEST COMES TO MIND. BUT MARYLAND? >> I WOULD SAY THAT MARYLAND IS THE BEST PLACE, THE BEST ESTATE IN THE COUNTRY TO TRAIN FOR ANY TYPE OF WHITEWATER ATHLETICS. LOWELL: ADAM VAN GRACK IS THE CHAIRMAIN FOR THE U.S. CANOE-KAYAK TEAM AND SAYS MARYLAND IS A BREEDING GROUND FOR KIDS WHO GO ON TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL WHITEWATER ATHLETES. >> EVERYTHING OLYMPIC TEAM THAT I'M AWARE OF GOING BACK TO 1972 AS IT HAD AN ATHLETE BASED IN MARYLAND OR DID AT LEAST BASED PACIFIC PORTION OF THE EARLY TRAINING IN MARYLAND. LOWELL: SO WHY MARYLAND? AS VAN GRACK EXPLAINS, MOST WHITE WATER RIVERS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE DEPENDENT ON SNOW MELT OR HEAVY RAINS. IN MARYLAND, BESIDES THE RIVERS OF WESTERN MARYLAND, YOU HAVE THE POTOMAC RIVER HOME TO THE FEEDER CANAL TRAINING COURSE FOR OLYMPIC ATHLETES AS WELL AS THE DICKERSON WHITE WATER COURSE IN DICKERSON, MARYLAND. >> WE HAVE WHITEWATER AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. MULTIPLE AREAS WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF BALTIMORE. LOWELL: WE SPENT SOME TIME ON THE THEATER COURSE IN BETHESDA AND SURE ENOUGH, ALL LEVELS OF KAYAKERS WERE OUT THERE WEAVING THROUGH THE GATES. >> ANYBODY CAN TAKE THE WHITEWATER BOAT AND ON A GIVEN DAY SEEING MUCH WILL PAST OLYMPIC MEDALISTS AND MULTIPLE PATH OF THE BIG ATHLETES AND CURRENT ATHLETES TRAINING IN THE SAME COURSE. LOWELL: ASHLEY NEE WHO IS ON HER WAY TO RIO FOR THE WOMEN'S SLALOM EVENT AND STARTED HERE AS A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL EXPLAINED HOW THE COURSE WORKS AND HOW IT PREPARES HER FOR COMPETITION. >> GREEN ARE DOWNSTREAM, RUNNER UP STREAM. IF YOU TOUCH A DATE, IT IS TWO SECONDS ADDED TO YOUR TIME. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ABSORB BUT

Many whitewater athletes train in Maryland

Colorado or the Pacific Northwest might come to mind when thinking about training for whitewater sports, but Maryland Adam Van Grack, chairman of the U.S. canoe-kayak team, said Maryland is a breeding ground for children who go on to become professional whitewater athletes. So why Maryland?